Royaumont Abbey prays for a lasting recovery in business tourism

Just a 50-minute drive from Paris and thirty minutes from Roissy airport, Royaumont Abbey is not just a cultural and artistic centre dedicated to dance and music. Founded in 1228 by Louis IX, the future Saint-Louis, it is also a major venue for seminars and events. Alongside visits from the general public and film and TV shoots, this activity helps to safeguard this prestigious Val d'Oise heritage, which became a foundation in 1964 thanks to a bequest from Henry and Isabelle Goüin. " Business tourism accounts for 40 % of Royaumont's own resources. Some 200 corporate events were held there every year before the Covid-19 pandemic, either as residential events or on a daily basis." says Mélanie Romain, Sales Director of the Seminars and Events division.

The site will appeal to companies and event agencies alike, with its range of spaces for a variety of events.architecture in pure Gothic styleThe abbey suffered when it was converted into a cotton mill after the French Revolution, losing its church in the process - equivalent in size to Soissons Cathedral! - of which all that remains today is a proud half-arch rising into the air.

Around its cloister, the abbey houses 10 meeting rooms from 30 to 250 m2 with capacity for up to 250 people, including the impressive Salle des Charpentes and spectacular areas such as the monks' building, the chapter house, the library, the kitchens and the lay brothers' refectory. Their splendid vaults can host conferences, symposiums, fashion shows, dinners, gala evenings...

" Some areas communicate with each other and can be used to organise large-scale events for up to 600 or 800 people" adds Mélanie Romain. Taking advantage of this unique setting, the abbey has also developed a hotel offer comprising 45 rooms, including 8 studios with a modern décor, all complemented by restaurants of varying sizes and a bar.

In the current health context, this listed historic site benefits from its size, which makes it easier to comply with the rules of distance. But it also plays on its green" locationThese include private tours of the abbey, a visit to the grounds and the vegetable garden, as well as a range of other activities. team buildings including the not-to-be-missed treasure hunt based on the history of the site, and electric mountain bike rides in the Chantilly forest. The foundation's musical focus, and the presence of artists in residence, also allow it to organise top-class vocal recitals.

" Royaumont is particularly well suited to CSR concerns for companies through this artistic vocation, the organic produce from the kitchen garden for the catering of our guests and the investments we are making in terms of energy savings, water management, etc." Mélanie Romain points out that there has been an upsurge in requests from companies wishing to resume face-to-face meetings and re-motivate employees who have been kept away from home by teleworking.

All that remains is to communicate in order to sustain this current upturn in MICE and to stand up to competition from the destination Chantillya few leagues away, as well as a house of ChâteauformIt is located at the gates of the abbey, in the former farmhouse and abbot's palace dating from the late 18th century, separated from the estate by the successive sales of Royaumont since the Revolution.